The Lotus Garden
by Triptych
Summary: Will Sun-Tzu Liao be able to control his mad sister Kali?


**The Lotus Garden**

**By Triptych**

_A wise man knows restraint. His strength is his detachment._

-Euripides, _The Bacchae_

  It was a blisteringly hot day and so the masseuse had decided to wear only his white shorts and nothing else. This arrangement would serve a dual purpose; first the lack of clothing would enable him to endure Sian's humid tropical climate and secondly, his muscular chest and flat stomach might just make a positive impression onto his client. He had heard many tales that the lady might be partial to handsome and well-built young men and since he was but an apprentice masseuse for only a few years, it might give him a well-needed path to eventual fame and glory in the royal court. Even though his parents had warned him years before to be wary of palace intrigues and politics, he felt that he would be destined for something, but what that was he wasn't sure.

  As he came out of the air-conditioned locker room and into the balmy heat of the foyer, the man picked up a stack of white linen towels and proceeded to pass through the lotus garden towards the gazebo. His slippered feet made little patting noises as he briskly walked the short distance along the stone cobbled flooring that lined the immense garden of tropical trees and flowers that ringed the outer part of the palace. Birds could be seen fluttering and singing along the many trees as he walked by. Within a few minutes he had made it into the terrace overlooking the Kwai River. Peering into the aperture he noticed that the lady was already lying face down on the wooden massage table, beads of sweat glistening on her naked body.

  While slipping off his shoes, the masseuse carefully placed the towels on a table made of dark lacquered wood that stood beside the massage bench. After stretching his arms for a few seconds he then opened several bottles of fragrant oils and mixed them together onto the palms of his massive, calloused hands. 

  The pungent smells of tropical herbs and flowers began to filter through the air as the masseuse then began to rub the oils onto the woman's bare back. After kneading her muscular shoulders he began to work down her spine. The darkly tanned skin was malleable but also held a certain resistance, as if the muscles themselves were not used to a stranger running his hands along the sensitive spots that ringed along her body.

  As he began working on her lower back the woman gave a soft groan that signified pleasure. He stopped for a minute, hoping that he did not hurt or offend her in any way. Perhaps he had gone too far? Whatever the case, he had to be careful.

  "Continue." The woman said while still lying face down.

  The order was immediately obeyed as the masseuse did his best to soothe her aching muscles. He knew that she preferred to work out just before she took her lunch and so therefore he could not take too long at this. After gently tapping her shoulders to make her turn over, he continued to knead and rub her well-toned body, being careful not to show his arousal at her nakedness. After all, he was a man and everyone knew what men always had on their minds.

  After several minutes when he finally finished massaging her toes the masseuse quickly backed off and bowed as she made a gesture signifying that the massage was at an end. He continued his supplication as the lady put on a bathrobe made of black silk and walked over to him.

  "What kind of oil did you use?" The lady queried as her black-tipped fingernails caressed his cheek.

  "I used white lilac oil combined with red rose petals, my lady." The masseuse replied.

  "I see." Kali Liao smiled as she ran her wiry fingers along the man's muscular chest. "It seems that you must be new at this job and nobody told you."

  The man's eyes widened in surprise. "Told me what, my lady?"

  "That I hate white lilac oil and that only black lotus oil is to be used when I have my massage."

  She let the man stand there incredulously for a few minutes before she retrieved a serrated dagger from the folds of her robe and plunged it into his chest.

  The Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation was enjoying a sumptuous lunch of braised duck with spring rolls in the grand dining hall as he heard a shriek coming from across the grounds of the adjoining lotus garden. After carefully placing his ivory chopsticks down on his plate, Sun-Tzu Liao made an inaudible sigh. With the inner-palace so heavily guarded by his elite Death Commandos, the only commotion that could possibly occur would only come from his mad sister, Kali.

  The palace major-domo quickly ran over to his side and bowed down in entreaty.

  "What is it?" Sun-Tzu asked.

  There was a hint of fear in the major-domo's eyes. "My Lord, Lady Kali has killed the masseuse. She is in a fit of rage and no one can calm her."

  "Tell the Death Commandos to stand down and clear the grounds. I will talk to her myself."

  "At once, Chancellor." With that, the major-domo left the room.

  As Sun-Tzu began to ponder on how to solve this situation, all of the servants in the dining hall beside the lotus garden panicked and fled when they heard a growl coming from the grounds. As the only inhabitant of the now abandoned royal dining hall, Sun-Tzu removed the silk napkin from his lap and placed it on the mahogany dining table as he began to rise from his hand-carved chair. Just then, Kali Liao ventured in from the open sides of the hall flanking the lotus garden with a bloodstained dagger in her hands.

  "Hello brother, are we to have lunch now?" Kali said as she hid the dagger within the folds of her black robe.

  "I heard a growl, what was it?" Sun-Tzu asked.

  "Oh, yes." Kali made a low whistling noise as a fully-grown Bengal tiger slipped into the dining hall to join them. "You do remember my pet, Shiva; do you not?"

  "Oh course." Sun Tzu smiled. He had to keep his composure, if the tiger felt a trace of fear in the air, it might attack. He knew perfectly well that Kali had trained the animal from birth and would attack either on her command or would pounce if it smelled prey. "Why don't you tell it to play in the garden, okay? I would like to talk to you." He said.

  "Why not." Kali smiled as she made another low whistle. Within a blur, the tiger leaped into one of the massive windows that led into the lotus garden and disappeared. "Now what was it you wanted to tell me?" She asked.

  "If you behave yourself for the rest of the weekend, I shall give you a gift." Sun-Tzu said.

  "A gift? Well now, it had better be a very good gift, my brother; with the exception of Kai Allard Liao's head on a silver platter, I have pretty much everything I could ever want."

  "Oh I think this one will impress you very much." Sun-Tzu winked at his sister. "I had intended to give it to you on your birthday but I feel that this is as good a time as any."

  "I hope so." Kali grinned. He could see that she had her teeth sharpened artificially; she looked like a slant-eyed piranha ready to strike. "I am not having a good day."

  "Well then I shall make your day better." Sun-Tzu walked out into the lotus garden and gestured to her. "Follow me."

  As brother and sister walked along the grounds of the lotus garden, Sun-Tzu noticed that the birds had stopped singing; perhaps it was because Kali's pet tiger was prowling nearby. He had hoped that the Death Commandos would have been prudent enough to evacuate everybody to safety as soon as the commotion began. If the masseuse had been the only person dead so far, then he would consider it a good day. Another part of him hoped that his bodyguards had sniper teams on the ready, if he couldn't calm her down today, then maybe they would have to do the unthinkable.

  After a few minutes walk, they finally stopped in front of a heavy oaken door that was surrounded by a high wall made of stone. They had at last come to the edge of the lotus garden. As Kali looked around, she noticed that she had not yet been to this part of the garden ever. The palace had so many secrets yet unopened to her!

  Sun-Tzu placed his palm on a hidden biometric scanner built into the entrance. As the sensors confirmed his identity, the massive oak door opened electronically. "Come on in." He said.

  As Kali followed her brother into another chamber, she noticed that it was in fact a massive hangar bay. Apparently this was a hidden chamber used by her brother's Death Commandos as a storeroom for their battlemechs. Sun-Tzu ultimately led her towards a colossal shape that was covered in a massive tarp blanket.

  "My gift to you." Sun-Tzu smiled.

  "What is it?" Kali was very eager now.

  Sun-Tzu gestured to a rope that hung from the ceiling. "Pull this and find out."

  Kali wrapped both her hands around the silken rope and pulled. As the tarp fell off, it revealed a battlemech never before seen by her. Although its torso was humanoid, it had six arms, some ending in weapon barrels, others with massive, twisted swords. The cockpit was shaped like a fanged woman. It was a physical embodiment of the great goddess of death; it was her namesake come to life.

  Kali stood there, stunned beyond belief. "This mech is mine?"

  "My gift to you, sister." Sun-Tzu smiled. "I call it the _Kali_, a six-armed goddess of death and destruction. May all our enemies whither before its onslaught."

  Kali hugged her brother very tight. For the first time in her life, she felt an exhilaration that would normally come only when she was killing something. This was the best gift she ever had. Now she truly loved him more than anything else. The thought of slicing his stomach open had crossed her mind but now it was completely forgotten.

  It was fortunate that Sun-Tzu's sister was in a state of bliss for if she wasn't; Kali would have been more alert and so would have sensed the half-dozen laser beams tracing her spine.


End file.
